Torchwood

[Mikey]

I've been re-watching Series-1 lately and for some reason I like it better on this second watching.

When I watched it for the first time it seemed to be VERY progressive and sexually gratuitous for shock-value sake .... if you've seen Torchwood before, i'm sure you know what I mean ....

But, on this second watching--- when the shock value is gone ----- I'm re-watching the stories themselves now and they don't seem too bad.

Weird, but it seemed to have gotten better on it's second watching.

Perhaps RTD should learn something by this ......
SEX in any form, doesn't sell a Sci Fi show.

[MirrorSpock]

I'm right there with you, Mike. I downloaded "Torchwood" recently, and have watched most of it (my wife and I just watched "They Keep Killing Suzie" last night--my favorite so far--so we have five more to go). It's an above average show, but the overt sexual content and profanity keep taking me out of the story.

There are very few of the stories I've seen so far that couldn't have been told with little or no sexuality. (I'm not a prude by any means, but I don't believe in obligatory sex or cursing--it needs to be integral to the plot, or it becomes a distraction.)

I haven't finished the series yet, so I can't comment fully. However, it seems like RTD is using "Torchwood" to promote some sort of liberal LBGT agenda. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and waters down what could be a first-class sci-fi/paranormal series, and makes it merely above-average.

[Mikey]

I think the show has potential.

Besides Jack, the whole cast is very unlikable...

KInd of unusual in a show.

[ctc]

>There are very few of the stories I've seen so far that couldn't have been told with little or no sexuality.

Hmmmm.... I dunno.... Yeah; there was some of it that wasn't neccessary; but I think they were trying to set a radicly different tone with the show, and I really do think it worked. I really liked Torchwood. The sex, language and violence set the scene for a lot of the episodes. Here in N. America we don't get that sort of thing... we get innuendo, we get inplication, but we don't get the real deal. Mostly 'cos the producers want to maximalize the audience, so they tone down questionable material. (So, sex and sexuality in most N. American sci-fi tends to be really juvenile, or awkward. You can have a gay character in a N. American show, but you can't actually have them gettin' any; 'cos that'd be too weird for the audience.)

>it seems like RTD is using "Torchwood" to promote some sort of liberal LBGT agenda.

Well.... Again; I didn't see this, but I do think a lot of stuff was put into the stories not to push an agenda; but to be different from other shows, and for shock value. They put a LOT of effort into making the show different from other shows; including unusual sexual practices. And yeah, sometimes it WAS jarring, but I'd suck it up and soldier on because the rest of the episode was so good.

>I just watched "They Keep Killing Suzie" last night--my favorite so far--so we have five more to go).

Hee hee... that was a neat episode! I like the one with the nerd guy getting hit by the car too. One thing I really liked about the show is that every episode was character driven. Somebody did something, and the plot followed from that. It wasn't about, say, an evil alien race invading.... and even when it WAS the episode would be more about one of the character's interacting with the aliens than the actual invasion. I haven't seen THAT in a LONG time from a sci-fi show.

>It's an above average show, but the overt sexual content and profanity keep taking me out of the story.

Well.... again, I think that's personal prefrence. Which is cool. It's nice that you can put that aside for the sake of the episodes; becuase it really is a good show. I grew up reading underground comics, and watching old 70's action movies, so the swearing and sex is old hat to me.

>Besides Jack, the whole cast is very unlikable...

VERY true; but I think that's that's the point. The crew is supposed to be more average than the usual tv hero, and it shows. They're not really heroic, and a lot of them seem extremely selfish when compared to the usual tv hero. Which again, I thought ROCKED! It's something DIFFERENT, and I like different. (And even Jack has his unlikable side... he seems perfectly willing to use teammates as bait. It bothers him, but he still does it.)

Don C.

[mazinz]

I saw the show a few months back as someone asked me to convert the PAL dvds over to ntsc for them. I really liked this show even with the gratuitous sex all over the place. Honestly who cares? The show is actually well written, I do like all of the characters and the whole premise is not overly stupid.

Maybe I am seeing the show from the outside looking in? I had no idea what the show was or about until I started to do the conversion. Shortly thereafter I found out it was a spin off from Dr. Who. I never watched Dr. Who at all or follow anything like that. But I must say it really is a damn good show. Looking forward to eventually seeing season 2.


I heard they are bringing this over to the US to air on the digital BBC America channel (or close to that name).

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

They're gonna show it here in Canada on CBC. I'm curious as to HOW they're gonna do that.

Don C.

[Mikey]

I've heard rumours it's coming to Sci Fi too.

I'm wondering,

You know how after a certain time at night Comedy Central is aloud to use the F word ?

Perhaps all cable channels can do that if they want -- after a certain time of night.

[samurainoir]

Hmmmm....

They're gonna show it here in Canada on CBC. I'm curious as to HOW they're gonna do that.

Don C.

CBC's always been pretty progressive when airing shows with a degree of sexuality or mature content. There really isn't anything on the show that is any more objectionable or explicit than programming they have aired in the past. It might be aired later in the evening or contain a warming of content if anything. The original Degrassi TV movie (and the original TV show itself) had more controversial material than Torchwood, and that was aimed at teens. They have never really shied away from from material like that.

This is the same publically funded network that picked up Larry Sanders, the original Spitting Image, and produced the hockey+sex drama He Shoots, He Scores. Hell, French CBC airs softcore porn.


For me the greatest weakness of the show is the lack of chemistry between the cast members. It's actually the sex and profanity within the context of the Doctor Who universe that has kept me watching the show. Hopefully adding in the Doctor's new compion Martha Jones for half a season might spice up the mix.

[Mikey]

Hopefully adding in the Doctor's new compion Martha Jones for half a season might spice up the mix.

But, If I know RTD correctly........ he's bringing her there to specifically lesbo-kiss all female members of Torchwood ------ and perhaps a few aliens to boot.

I just don't think it would help her career on Doctor Who.

I count this as a deathnail to Martha Jones...

A shame to ......... because after a whole season, I was beginning to like her.

[palitoy]

CBC's always been pretty progressive when airing shows with a degree of sexuality or mature content. There really isn't anything on the show that is any more objectionable or explicit than programming they have aired in the past. It might be aired later in the evening or contain a warming of content if anything. The original Degrassi TV movie (and the original TV show itself) had more controversial material than Torchwood, and that was aimed at teens. They have never really shied away from from material like that.

This is the same publically funded network that picked up Larry Sanders, the original Spitting Image, and produced the hockey+sex drama He Shoots, He Scores. Hell, French CBC airs softcore porn.

Yeah, I'm not worried about CBC and their content, they were always progressive, they did produce Kids in the Hall after all.